Could have sworn I had an account here back when I had a diesel truck maybe just lurked so much back then I thought I did.
Any how had two Pure One PL14610 Filters in the shed in my storage container from prior oil changes.Cut them both open and posting results:
1 with 7-31-2012 date code (F07D31E1) has a torn pleat, left side of metal seam viewed with open end of filter pointing up. 97 Mazda Miata, 1.8L 5spd, Pennzoil Platinum 10-30 In service 9-30-12 through 8-4-13 8,122 miles. On extended OCI's I usually change the filter only around 4K but forgot on this one. Used about 1 quart (what was left in the 5 qt jug) in that 8K.
1 with 7-30-2011 date code (F07C30E1) NO TEAR Same Vehicle Same Oil, 1-25-12 thru 9-30-12, OCI was 7,733 miles but that filter may only have 3500-4000 miles on it since I'm pretty sure I did a filter swap mid OCI.
Have another one currently installed that's been in service around 5K so far with 5-30 Pennzoil Platinum. Will cut that one and inspect after the oil change for another data point.
All that said, I have owned the car since 83K miles, I received no service records with the car and none showed up on car fax, the last 60K plus have been on Pure One filters and Pennzoil Platinum. If there have been holes in the filters I didn't cut open, you can't tell it from looking inside the engine during the timing belt swap at 132K or by the compression test at 139K (210, 205, 215, 215 1-4 respectively).
Should they be there, no. How big a deal is it really? Do we have catastrophic engine failures reported? Does anyone have a series of UOA's that they can point to which OCI's they had a filter tear and which one they didn't? Having not read the thread on miata.net and then coming here, I wouldn't have bothered cutting the filter open, been none the wiser, and motored happily along.
Consider its a mass produced product, on the order of 10 million filters a year I'm guessing if not more?? Anyone else want to put a number on it? US population is 350 million +, say 100 million drive, 12,000 miles a year, if each driver only changed oil once a year that's still 100 million filters, I'm guessing my estimates are conservative. What's Purolater's market share?- They build alot of filters. Not defending them, but there are realities associated with large scale production. If it were easy, every one would be doing it. Build a filter you can retail for $3-6.00, cover majority of applications and do it with zero or near zero failure rate. Makes for good forum fodder though.
I'll edit with a link to photos of the filters in the miata.net thread. I don't use internet base photo servers and didn't see a way to upload from my computer directly.
ddog